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Bayern Munich came into the game on the back of a 4-1 away win over Lazio in the round-of-16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.
They have, however, struggled in the league lately. They failed to win both of their last two games coming into the Koln encounter, and dropped their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to just two points.
The visitors, Koln, have had a tough season and came into the match just three points above the relegation zone. They had won just one of their previous four games in all competitions, losing the other three.
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Bayern Munich began the game comparatively calmer than usual.. The visitors did not make it any easier either as they remained camped in their half, and did little to press Bayern Munich for the ball.
The Bavarian’s patience paid off when Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting opened the scoring in the 18th minute. Koln's unwillingness to press forward allowed Leon Goretzka to advance unchallenged into the box before playing a precise cross for Choupo-Moting to head in.
The visitors looked more interested in keeping the ball after falling behind but were guilty of sloppy passing a few times.
Their wayward passing soon handed Bayern Munich a second goal when Ellyes Skhiri gave away the ball in the middle of the park. A brilliant exchange between Robert Lewandowski and Leon Goretzka soon sent the Pole through on goal, and he did not falter.
Bayern went into the half-time with a two-goal cushion. Koln then came out in the second half as the better side and soon halved the deficit.
Koln caught Bayern on the counter and a half-cleared cross, poor first-touch, and miscommunication between defenders saw the visitors get a goal of their own.
Bayern Munich then woke up from their brief slumber and quickly rekindled their first-half flame to eliminate any hope of a comeback for the visitors.
Another goal from Lewandowski and two from second-half substitute Serge Gnabry saw Bayern clinch all three points with a 5-1 victory.
The result saw Bayern Munich go five points clear at the top of the Bundesliga. Koln are currently 14th in the league with 21 points in 23 games.
Here's how the Bayern Munich players performed in the game.
Bayern Munich Player Ratings
Manuel Neuer - 6/10
The Bayern Munich shot-stopper had nothing to do in the first half as the visitors failed to threaten. However, his first call to work saw the ball end in the net after he was left exposed by his defense. Neuer made two saves after that.
Niklas Sule - 6.5/10
Sule filled in for the injured Pavard at right-back and put in a decent shift. Had the most touches and passes in the game as Bayern Munich preferred the right flank flank as an attacking outlet.
Jerome Boateng - 6.5/10
The more composed of Bayern Munich’s two central defenders. Boateng was extremely tidy in possession, regularly pinging long balls from side to side. He completed a game-high 10 long balls and had a 100% success rate in them.
David Alaba - 6/10
The Austrian was guilty of sloppiness in possession on occasions. He received the first booking of the game for pulling the shirt of a Koln player after giving away the ball cheaply. Alaba failed to clear the ball, leading to Koln's goal.
Alphonso Davies - 7/10
The Bayern Munich youngster was electric in the first half, constantly tearing down his flank and taking on opposition players. He completed the most take-ons and won the most ground duels in the game.
Joshua Kimmich - 6.5/10
The midfielder was quietly useful. He didn't have much to do, considering how dominant his partner was. Kimmich did his job to the best of his ability before he was taken off in the 87th minute.
Leon Goretzka - 8/10
A colossal performance from the German. Goretzka assisted three goals on the evening, more than he had in the league all season prior to the game. Easily the man of the match.
Jamal Musiala - 6.5/10
The youngster retained his starting position in the XI after his brilliant display against Lazio midweek. He was not as impactful against Koln, but he did his bit for the team. He showed great strength for an 18-year-old, winng seven duels. He was substituted for Muller in the second half.
Leroy Sane - 6.5/10
The winger looked lively in his fifth straight start for the Bavarians. He didn't have the impact on the game he would have wanted, but showed sparks of brilliance and courage in possession.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting - 6.5/10
The Cameroonian got his first league goal for Bayern Munich with a simple header at the far post from a Goretzka cross. His impact petered out, and he was removed just after the hour mark.
Robert Lewandowski - 7.5/10
A goal in each half from the Poland striker put him on 28 goals for the current league campaign. He was on hand to finish after a neat one-two with Goretzka before getting his second with a first-time finish after Muller played him through on goal.
Ratings for Bayern Munich substitutes
Thomas Muller - 6.5/10
The German made his first appearance for the club since earlier in the month after recovering from Covid-19. He provided the assist for Bayern Munich’s third goal with his first touch of the ball.
Serge Gnabry - 7.5/10
Like Muller, Gnabry made his return to the side after sustaining an injury in the Club World Cup earlier in the month. He scored the final two goals of the game with two brilliant first-time finishes to take his league tally up to seven.
Lucas Hernandez - 6.5/10
The Frenchman provided the assist for Gnabry 10 minutes after his introduction. He drilled in a low ball into the box for a simple tap-in for the German forward.
Javi Martinez - N/A
He came on late and made no telling impact.
Tiago Dantas - N/A
He made his debut on the evening, coming on in the 87th minute.
